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Choc Chilli Brownies

You probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you brownies can be healthy… while I’m all for having the real chocolate deal, sometimes it’s nice to have a healthier alternative to snack on throughout the week. These brownies are packed with fibre, some antioxidants, healthy fats, a hint of spice and taste delicious. I’ve chosen to avoid using any sweetener as I prefer quite a dark tasting brownie, however if you’re new to healthy baking feel free to add 2tsp -1tbsp worth of your sweetener of choice.

Like with all my recipes here’s the nutrition low down on some of the key ingredients featured in the brownie, if you’re too impatient and would rather just get straight to the recipe -scroll on down!

Black Beans -fibre, fibre, fibre! Black beans are packed with fibre, one cup of cooked black beans contains around 15 grams of fibre -which helps keep our bowels happy and regular. Furthermore, as well as being a low GI (slow releasing) carbohydrate, half of the carbohydrates found in black beans are fibre. Black beans are also a higher protein containing around 15g of protein, an excellent choice for vegetarians or vegans -there also high in iron, magnesium and potassium.

Cocoa -Cocoa is high in antioxidants, magnesium and theobromine (the stimulating and bitter component of chocolate). If a recipe calls for raw cacao I’d advise only using it if the recipe is raw; the additional benefits of cacao over cocoa once cooked are negligible. Cocoa still has a decent nutritional profile despite being associated with refined sugar loaded sweets. Cocoa is also packed with potassium (important for maintaining our blood pressure, cardiovascular health and muscle contraction), as well as the antioxidants and theobromine found in cacao (albeit in smaller amounts).

Peanut Butter –healthy, healthy fats! It’s awesome to see so many 100% natural peanut butters on the market these days, there’s really nothing better than opening a fresh jar of your favourite peanut butter. The fats found in peanuts are heart healthy mono and poly unsaturated fatty acids, which can help lower your cholesterol levels and risk of cardiovascular disease -an excuse to eat peanut butter everyday perhaps? Peanuts are also a source of protein, folate and B vitamins.

Let me know how you get on with the recipe, I’ve only trialled this recipe twice so I really hope it works for you too! Enjoy the rest of your week!